Here we are again with another Quixotic Quantum Quandary! The miniaturization of technology is fairly evident in computers and phones and the like, but what about other, more mechanical devices? Well, many of them have small-ified also, and that leaves us with what you see here. Once a cut above the rest, now it seems large and ungainly when compared with the lightweights that have taken over its task. And that is a distinction as well, for this is no multi-purpose machine, it handles only one chore.
If you think you know the truth, and can keep us all on the straight and narrow, just lay it out there!
If any of you friendly frequenters of the Quandary have some ponderable particulars that you would care to share, a little tidbit of forgotten technology, please send some photos my way! Just email HycoSpeed@gmail.com and throw Q³ in the subject line so I’ll see it.
Looks like a truck. Maybe an offroad 4 x 4?
Actually I think its from a train. The line "straight and narrow" seems to agree with me there.The top picture looks like one of the floating suspensions on a passenger car attached to the more normal leaf springs. Let me go find one of my more recent pictures to see if I'm right.
This picture is just for scale until i find one trying to show what I mean.
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-CmCdZK9JGtA/UDqGtyW_vUI/AAAAAAAAUD8/jlvmAivB4_k/s912/DSC_0874.JPG" width=600 />
Looks like a big old belt knife sharpener.
I call foul on the solarized images. Foul!
"Seems large and ungainly"–That's relative, of course. The bottom left corner of the second picture shows a philips screw of proportions that certainly wouldn't be used to fasten large heavy things together.
The top picture shows a spring with a lot of coils, indicating a lot of travel in relation to the force applied. Assuming approximately the same scale was used in both pictures, I'd guess that the top picture is the underside of a key from a mechanical keyboard (alphanumeric, not musical).
"Straight and narrow": space bar, though the shape of the underside of this key makes it more likely to be something like a shift or "a cut above the rest" shift lock.
<img src="http://loudquietgirl.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/800px-selectric_ii.jpg" width=500>
The first picture appears to show a V-belt driving something with a spring reinforced hose. Along with the "straight and narrow" clue, I'm thinking of a road saw.
<img src="http://www.a1concreteservices.com.au/Images/Road-Saw.jpg" width="500">
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